Hey man, I'm 30 and I look at the 17 year old kids joining my reserve unit now and I'm starting to feel like an old vet myself! Most of my platoon wasn't even in the army while we were in Afghanistan, in fact there's only 4 of us left that actually went. Even of those I'm the only one that has stubbornly refused a leaf, so most of the time I'm the only person with a tour in the room.

I remember watching 9/11 on television. Dad (AFSOC) deployed in about a week. I remember a conscious decision that I wanted to be a Ranger instead of getting the Air Force to pay for me to become a missile engineer.

Somes of my Joes now cannot remember 9/11 and yet have deployed in support of GWOT.

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I like to think, that before that Navy SEAL double tapped bin Laden in the head, he kicked him, so that we could truly say we put a boot in his ass.

I remember watching 9/11 on television. Dad (AFSOC) deployed in about a week. I remember a conscious decision that I wanted to be a Ranger instead of getting the Air Force to pay for me to become a missile engineer.

Somes of my Joes now cannot remember 9/11 and yet have deployed in support of GWOT.

Our son shipped out for the U.S. Coast Guard today. Off to Cape May, New Jersey - United States Coast Guard Training Center - where he will do his basic training. Four year enlistment. He was three years old on 9/11.

Our son shipped out for the U.S. Coast Guard today. Off to Cape May, New Jersey - United States Coast Guard Training Center - where he will do his basic training. Four year enlistment. He was three years old on 9/11.

There is a meme floating around Facebook (where I added Cordell *cough* cough*) that talks about how we were kids when the Towers fell but not any more.

I've referred to the GWOT as "The Forever War" to riff on one of my favorite books.

When the draw down occurred in Iraq I couldn't believe that the war I had always known was supposedly won and done. I went out and got drunk. Got in a big fight with my then girl friend and yeah, it was bad.

FWIW, I was 13 when 9/11 occurred. I distinctly remember hoping against all hope that by the time I was a Ranger there would still be terrorists left to fight.

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I like to think, that before that Navy SEAL double tapped bin Laden in the head, he kicked him, so that we could truly say we put a boot in his ass.

Same for me as well. Saw it on TV at the brand new middle school I went to that year. I agree about your quote from the meme, too - The whole world got a bit darker overall and stayed that way ever since.. But I do remember the 90s very well, good times. But apparently that makes even me old as dirt now to some.

I'm with ya JC - I keep thinking that tank is state of the art and then I remember what year it is and part of me thinks "Is the Army even still using tanks anymore?" Or something like that. Where does the time go? Meh.

Congrats and best to your little man shipping out, BTW. I remember when you first told us that he was going into the CG, wasn't that a few months ago now though? Bah, again, where does that time ago? I think somebody stole it. I should file a report with ya, JC.

__________________"..If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you - It would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun."
- The Dalai Lama